KU Law Podcasts & Videos
Graduation 2012
May 12, 2012 | Video | Video 2 | Photo gallery | Audio (MP3):Sheila Bair, L'78 | Dean Stephen Mazza | Student Awards | Max Falkenstien
More than 140 graduates made the transition from KU Law students to Jayhawk lawyers during the 2012 Hooding Ceremony on May 12. Former FDIC chair Sheila Bair, L'78, addressed the class on behalf of alumni, and Dean Stephen Mazza recounted the indelible mark class members left on the school. Max Falkenstien, the legendary voice of the Kansas Jayhawks, read the graduates' names as they received their hoods.
Final Arguments of the 2012 Moot Court Competition
April 12, 2012 | Video | Photo galleryFrom a pool of 52 second-year law students, four emerged to compete in the final round of the 2012 Moot Court Competition on April 12, 2012. Trent Byquist and his co-counsel, Rachel Nelson, were deemed the winning team by the three-judge panel of Judge Julie Robinson, L'81, and Judge Eric Melgren of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, and Judge Steve Leben, L'82, of the Kansas Court of Appeals. Opposing counsel were fellow 2Ls Britt Lagemann and Bri Harris, who argued on behalf of the petitioner. Byquist won the award for best oral advocate, and he and Nelson also won first place in the brief category. Bruno Simoes and Ryan Thornton won the award for second-best brief.
2012 Diversity in Law Banquet
March 2, 2012 | Video | MP3 | Photo galleryThe 2012 Diversity in Law Banquet took place at Pachamama's. David Lloyd, L'07, an attorney at Finch & Campbell LLP and co-owner of Method, a men's clothing boutique, delivered the keynote speech.
Faux Reform and For Reform
Feb. 10, 2012 | MP3Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters columnist and best-selling author David Cay Johnston, a Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the Syracuse University College of Law, delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy Symposium, "Corporate Tax Reform: Making America Competitive."
Lawyering for EPA: How to Make a Difference
Feb. 10, 2012 | MP3The Environmental Law Society hosted EPA Region 7 Administrator Dr. Karl Brooks, who discussed the role of legal counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Affirmative Action Debate
Feb. 10, 2012 | MP3Ron Sullivan from Harvard Law School and Roger Clegg, President and General Counsel of Center for Equal Opportunity, debated the topic of ethnic and racial preferences in university admissions. This debate topic aligns with Fisher v. University of Texas, which was granted certiorari by the Supreme Court.
Campaign Finance Challenges in the Age of the Super PAC
Jan. 26, 2012 | MP3 | StoryFederal Election Commissioner Cynthia Bauerly discussed recent court challenges and pending issues related to federal campaign finance laws. She also spoke about political advertising by super PACs, as well as Citizens United v. FEC, the controversial 2010 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down, on First Amendment grounds, a restriction on corporate expenditures for political advertising.
Supreme Court Roundup with Kannon Shanmugam
Nov. 10, 2011 | MP3Lawrence native Kannon Shanmugam returned to town to discuss the Supreme Court's changes and cases over the past year. Shanmugan graduated from Lawrence High at age 16, before attending Harvard and the University of Oxford. He served as a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court and then Judge J. Michael Luttig on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He's also argued eleven cases before the Supreme Court, and he's currently a partner with Williams & Connolly LLP. The event was sponsored by the KU Federalist Society.
Tom Biesecker
Nov. 10, 2011 | Video | News releaseThe 2011 Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy Visiting Fellow Lecture featured Tom Biesecker, board of directors of the American Society of Trial Consultants and an associate professor in the communications studies department at the University of Kansas
Same-Sex Marriage: Diverging Perspectives
Sept. 27, 2011 | MP3Professor Dale Carpenter, the Earl R. Larson Professor of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law at the University of Minnesota, discussed the "Conservative Case for Gay Marriage" with Dale Schowengerdt, a seasoned litigator who has worked with the Alliance Defense Fund since 2003. The event was sponsored by the KU Federalist Society, KU OutLaws and Allies, and KC Legal.
Understanding Islamic Law
Sept. 7, 2011 | MP3 | News releaseRice Distinguished Professor Raj Bhala recently published a new book called "Understanding Islamic Law" (LexisNexis). He gave a talk on understanding the religious tradition on Sept. 7 at the Hall Center for the Humanities.
Civil Rights Attorney Jack Greenberg
July 28, 2011 | Video | MP3 | News releaseFamed civil rights attorney Jack Greenberg, who argued Brown v. Board of Education with Thurgood Marshall at the U.S. Supreme Court, delivered a Living History lecture July 28, 2011, at the University of Kansas School of Law. Greenberg focused his talk on the plight of the Roma, whose situation parallels that of African Americans during the civil rights era.
Graduation 2011
May 21, 2011 | MP3 | Photo galleryNewly appointed Dean Stephen Mazza marked the graduation of the KU Law Class of 2011 with a witty and humorous speech that brought graduates to their feet during the Hooding Ceremony on May 21, 2011, at the Lied Center. The graduating class included 168 JDs, 3 SJDs and 1 LLM. (Please note: Audio quality improves at 2:49.)
Friends of the Wheat Law Library Lecture
April 14, 2011 | MP3Judge Steve Leben, L'82, of the Kansas Court of Appeals delivered a talk on "Some Thoughts on the Increasingly Interdisciplinary Nature of the Law" at the 10th annual Paul E. Wilson Friends of the Wheat Law Library Lecture & Luncheon on April 14, 2011.
Judicial Selection Panel
Feb. 16, 2011 | MP3Vanderbilt Law Professor Brian Fitzpatrick and KU Law Professor Stephen Ware discussed the different methods states use to select judges and the positive and negative repercussions of each approach during a panel discussion on Feb. 16, 2011. The event was sponsored by the KU Law chapter of the Federalist Society.
Dean's Welcome to the KU Law Class of 2013
Aug. 19, 2010 | Video | MP3 | Photo galleryInterim Dean Stephen Mazza welcomed fall-starters in the Class of 2013 with an address during the Entering Student Program on Aug. 19, 2010.
Graduation 2010
May 16, 2010Dean Agrawal's Address (MP3)
Judge Janice Karlin's Address (MP3)
Dean Stephen Mazza's Address (MP3)
Photo gallery
Students in the Class of 2010 officially became KU Law alumni during the Hooding Ceremony. Dean Gail Agrawal addressed graduates for her final time as dean, and Judge Janice Karlin, L'80, welcomed the newly minted lawyers on behalf of alumni. Dean Stephen Mazza presented student awards for scholarship, leadership and service.
Final Arguments of the 2010 Moot Court Competition
April 13, 2010 | Video | MP3 | Photo galleryFour finalists who rose from a field of more than 60 second-year law students competed in the final round of the in-house Moot Court Competition on April 13, 2010. Lindsay Grise and Evan North argued for the petitioner, and Daniel Buller and Milos Jekic represented the respondent. Gov. Mark Parkinson and Judges Mary Beck Briscoe and John Lungstrum presided over the arguments.
Kansas and World Agriculture: A Scholarly Roundtable
April 9, 2010 | Videos | News releaseGenetically modified wheat, agriculture's role in mitigating climate change and legal issues in animal agriculture were among the topics that academics, industry experts and lawmakers explored during the scholarly roundtable "Kansas and World Agriculture: Current Crises and Future Opportunities," which served as the kickoff event for the law school's Center for International Trade and Agriculture.
"You Can't Say That: Free Speech at the University"
April 1, 2010 | MP3KU Law Professor Richard Levy and Alliance Defense Fund attorney Kevin Theriot discussed Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear in a few weeks. Professor Mike Davis introduced the discussion of the case of a student chapter of the Christian Legal Society that was denied student organization status by the UC Hastings College of Law because the group requires officers and voting members to subscribe to its "Statement of Faith." Levy and Theriot then discussed the central questions of the case. Chief among them: What ARE the central questions, and why did the U.S. Supreme Court grant review in a case with two unpublished lower court opinions?
Diversity in Law Banquet 2010
March 5, 2010 | MP3Reginald Robinson, L'87, CEO and president of the Kansas Board of Regents, delivered the keynote address at the 15th annual Diversity in Law Banquet. The Black Law Students Association hosted this year's banquet, which celebrated diversity at KU Law and in the legal profession.
Student Success Series: Bar Exam Preparation
Feb. 2, 2010 | MP3The fourth installment in the 2009-2010 Student Success Series offered insider tips on preparing for and passing a bar exam. Panelists for the Feb. 2 program included Thomas Murray, chairman, Kansas Board of Law Examiners, and exam grader; Webb Hecker, professor of law; and Trinia Arellano, Stacy Blakeman and Wissam Rashid, all 2009 KU Law graduates and successful bar exam takers.
Stephen McAllister on "What Roe v. Wade Really Means"
Jan. 22, 2010 | MP3In honor of the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, KU Law Students for Reproductive Justice hosted "What Roe v. Wade Really Means: An Honest, Non-Biased Look at a Landmark Legal Decision." Stephen McAllister, KU Law professor and solicitor general of Kansas, gave a constitutional analysis of the case, followed by a Q&A period.
Ken Starr
Nov. 19, 2009 | Video | MP3 | News releaseKen Starr, former independent counsel and current dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law, spoke about the U.S. Constitution at the University of Kansas School of Law on Nov. 19, 2009. He was a guest of the KU chapter of the Federalist Society.
Robert Levy and "The Dirty Dozen"
Oct. 14, 2009 | Video | MP3 | News releaseScholar, author and pundit Robert A. Levy gave a talk and signed copies of his new book, "The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom," on Oct. 14, 2009, at the University of Kansas School of Law. He was a guest of the KU chapter of the Federalist Society.
Student Success Series: Financial Management Bootcamp
Oct. 6, 2009 | MP3In the second installment of KU Law's Student Success Series, Doni Mooberry and Cathy Reinhardt, KU Law alumni and financial planners, and a representative of the KU Office of Student Financial Aid provide strategies and answer questions about making responsible financial decisions in law school so that you don't have to live like a student after you graduate.
Kansas attorneys discuss small-town practice
Sept. 24, 2009 | Video | MP3In this Career Services Workshop, Jeff Mason of Vignery & Mason (Goodland, KS) and Brett Reber of Bremyer & Wise (McPherson) talk about the professional and personal aspects of a small-town law practice.
Francis Heller Book Talk & Signing
Sept. 21, 2009 | Video | MP3 | News releaseProfessor Emeritus Francis Heller escaped the Nazi regime under cover of darkness, fleeing Austria and embarking on a U.S. military and academic career that spanned decades and continents. He returned to the University of Kansas on Sept. 21, 2009, to give a talk and signed copies of his new memoir, "Steel Helmet and Mortarboard: An Academic in Uncle Sam's Army."
Judge Brian Barker on how British legal system is dealing with homegrown terrorists
Sept. 15, 2009 | Video | MP3British Judge Brian Barker visited KU Law on Sept. 15, 2009, as a guest of the International Law Society. He delivered a talk on how the English legal system has dealt with homegrown terrorists. As the second most senior judge at London's Central Criminal Court, Barker has presided over some of England's most notorious criminal cases.
Class of 2012 takes professional oath at KU Law Convocation
Aug. 26, 2009 | YouTube Video | MP3The Hon. Janice Miller Karlin, L'80, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Kansas, offered words of inspiration and advice to first-year law students. Then she led the future Jayhawk lawyers in an oath of professional responsibility during the KU Law Convocation on Aug. 26, 2009.
Dean's Welcome Address to Class of 2012
Aug. 20, 2009 | YouTube Video Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | MP3 | Photo galleryDean Gail Agrawal welcomed fall-starters in the Class of 2012 with an address during the Entering Student Program on Aug. 20, 2009.
Graduation 2009
May 17, 2009Dean Gail Agrawal's address (MP3)
Judge Steve Leben's address (MP3)
Announcement of student award winners (MP3)
Photo gallery
The University of Kansas School of Law bid farewell to the Class of 2009 during a doctoral hooding ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 17, at the Lied Center. Dean Gail Agrawal addressed the class first. Judge Steve Leben, L'82, of the Kansas Court of Appeals, then welcomed the school's newest graduates to the ranks of KU Law alumni. Before the graduates received their hoods, Stephen Mazza, associate dean for academic affairs, announced the student recipients of four top awards for scholarship, leadership and service.
Professor Dickinson leads annual walk to old Green Hall
April 23, 2009 | MP3 | Photo slideshowProfessor Martin Dickinson led the annual walk from new to old Green Hall on April 23. After reaching the steps of the law school's former home (now Lippincott Hall), he talked to students about the history of the law school and its first dean, James Woods Green.
Judge discusses environmental protection at the U.S. Court of International Trade
March 31, 2009 | MP3 | News releaseRussell native Judith M. Barzilay, a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade, explained to an audience at the law school how environmental protection cases end up at the court, which only handles cases that involve imports to the United States.
Former U.S. solicitor general outlines roles of office
March 2, 2009 | MP3 | News releasePaul Clement, the 43rd solicitor general of the United States, gave a KU Law audience a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the office that he oversaw from June 2005 to June 2008. Having argued 49 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, Clement also offered perspectives on the differences between advocating before the Rehnquist Court and the Roberts Court.
Chief U.S. appeals court judge addresses history, future of effective legal advocacy
Jan. 29, 2009 | Streaming videoThe chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit delivered the University of Kansas School of Law's inaugural Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy Annual Lecture.
Scholar confronts global future of U.S. class actions in inaugural Casad Lecture
Dec. 1, 2008 | Streaming video | Story"The time is long past when U.S. class actions played themselves out on a purely domestic stage," said Columbia Law School Professor George Bermann, who explored the ramifications of that internationalization during the inaugural Robert C. Casad Comparative Law Lecture.
Chinese ambassador urges international cooperation from new U.S. administration
Nov. 14, 2008 | Streaming video | MP3 | StoryAmbassador Liu Zhenmin, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told an audience at the University of Kansas School of Law on Nov. 14 that the U.S. should keep lines of free trade open, get on board with international environmental treaties and work more closely with other world powers on foreign policy issues.
Geneticist probes power, problems of new DNA technologies at biolaw symposium
Nov. 13, 2008 | Streaming video | StoryPrinceton University geneticist Lee Silver predicts there will come a time when parents use DNA technologies to ensure that their children are resistant to cancer and have artistic aptitude. Silver presented the keynote address at the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy symposium.
Constitutional law expert outlines D.C. vs. Heller decision and its implications
Oct. 14, 2008 | Streaming video | MP3Joyce Lee Malcolm, professor of law at George Mason University School of Law, delivered a talk about the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in D.C. vs. Heller. She discussed individual versus collective rights and provided cautionary tales from Great Britain, which has a gun ban. KU Law Professor Melanie Wilson followed Malcolm's presentation with a discussion of what Heller means for practicing attorneys.
Scott Bloch, L'86, explains little-known role of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel
Sept. 11, 2008 | Streaming video | MP3The Hon. Scott Bloch, L'86, Special Counsel, spoke at a meeting of KU Law's chapter of the Federalist Society. Bloch illuminated the responsibilities of the Office of Special Counsel which, among other things, protects whistleblowers. In his position, he said, "You don't make friends."
Entering law students take professional oath
Aug. 27, 2008 | MP3The Hon. Janice Miller Karlin, L'80, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Kansas, offered words of inspiration and advice to first-year law students. Then she led the future lawyers in an oath of professional responsibility.